Aerospace Defence Security Space Events

FIA 2016: Boeing celebrates its centennial

Posted 15 July 2016

At the Farnborough International Airshow (FIA) today, Boeing is celebrating its centennial, marking 100 years since it started out on 15th July 1916 producing a single canvas-and-wood airplane, to eventually become the world's largest aerospace company.

Boeing is marking 100 years of innovation within its special FIA 2016 pavilion featuring the Boeing Centennial Experience, which will be open throughout the show, with interactive displays showcasing the company’s past, present and future technologies.

The Boeing Centennial Experience will also feature kiosks with access to the digital archive of every issue of Aviation Week & Space Technology, which is also celebrating its 100th year.

The multi-mission P-8A, a military derivative of the Next-Generation 737-800 that provides advanced anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare capabilities, have joined Boeing’s multi-role F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter in demonstrating versatile capabilities during daily flying displays at FIA 2016. The P-8A aircraft also will be on static display along with an F/A-18E Super Hornet and an F-15E Strike Eagle.

Historic Boeing airplanes will also appear during the public weekend on flying or static display, including a P-51D Mustang, a B-17 Flying Fortress, a DC-3 Dakota and a B-25 Mitchell, among others.

As part of its first century celebration, Boeing is sponsoring 'Above and Beyond', a new interactive exhibition about the wonders of flight and humankind’s remarkable journey to space. This family-friendly exhibition, created in collaboration with NASA, is intended to inspire the next wave of engineers, pilots and astronauts. Above and Beyond will be open to the public at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich until 29 August (www.rmg.co.uk/see-do/exhibitions-events/above-and-beyond-exhibition).

In addition, aviation enthusiasts will have the opportunity to purchase exclusive products featuring Boeing Centennial designs, heritage collection and aircraft models from the merchandise trailer area and Gate B merchandise tent locations at the show.

Together with the Royal Aeronautical Society, Boeing will present RANS Coyote II airplanes built by students from the 'Schools Build a Plane Challenge' – a STEM initiative targeted at young people in UK secondary schools: www.boeing.co.uk/sbap.

Today, one of the light aircraft, constructed by pupils from Ercall Wood Technology College in Telford, will participate in the flying display. Another aircraft, which is in mid-construction at North East Wolverhampton Academy will also feature in the static display.

Above: At the Farnborough Intenrational Airshow 2016 on Monday 11th July (left to right), Sir Michael Arthur, President Boeing Europe and Managing Director Boeing UK and Ireland, Dennis Muilenburg, Boeing Chairman, President and CEO and ( former) UK Prime Minister David Cameron.
Photo by Phil Weymouth / Copyright Farnborough International Ltd

On the opening day of the Farnborough International Airshow, the British Government and Boeing announced a long-term partnering initiative to advance growth and prosperity in the United Kingdom.

Boeing has reinforced its ongoing commitment to deliver on the prosperity agenda as set out in Chapter 6 of the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR), through a further step-change in its onshore presence and industrial engagement with the UK.

The shared vision in the initiative is to deliver the best capabilities to the UK’s Armed Forces, alongside delivering additional, enhanced prosperity for the UK in partnership with the supply chain and public sector agencies.

Boeing has said it is committed to a long-term strategy for increasing investment in the UK in recognition of the capabilities and opportunities presented by the UK aerospace and defence industry, as part of Boeing’s global strategy. This will include expanding opportunities for the supply chain.

“Boeing is committed to the UK Government’s prosperity agenda and we share the goals of enhanced economic growth that the Prime Minister has set out to us,” said Dennis Muilenburg, Boeing chairman, president and chief executive officer.

Boeing has doubled its UK workforce and more than doubled its annual spending with the UK supply chain over the last five years, to more than 2,000 people and £1.8bn respectively in 2015. This growth plan is expected to result in a further 2,000 new Boeing jobs in the UK, alongside increased capital investment and additional bidding opportunities and competitiveness initiatives for UK suppliers. The shared ambition of this initiative is to enhance competitiveness to create the opportunity for UK companies to double their supply work with Boeing as production rates are achieved on new and current aircraft programmes.

“I want the UK to continue to be at the forefront of the global aerospace industry, both civil and defence, said Prime Minister David Cameron. “That’s why I’m delighted that we can announce today a long term strategic initiative with Boeing that will create thousands of jobs, secure investment in R&D and create opportunities for the supply chain, as well as delivering on our defence commitments. Boeing is one of the world’s most respected aerospace companies. This long term commitment shows the UK is open for business and attractive for investment.”

Progress will be reviewed at a bilateral Boeing Ministerial meeting each year at the Farnborough and Paris air shows, starting at Le Bourget in 2017. A senior UK Government minister and a member of Boeing’s Executive Council will lead these discussions.

The partnering initiative covers the following:

Boeing will increase overall bid opportunities offered to UK suppliers and work with the UK Government to enhance UK suppliers’ competitiveness. The aim of the initiative is to create the opportunity for UK companies to double their supply work with Boeing and to win higher proportions of content on future Boeing aircraft.
Boeing will sign the Aerospace Growth Partnership Supply Chain Competitiveness charter.
Boeing will make the UK its European base for training, maintenance, repair and overhaul across its defence fixed-wing and rotary platforms.

Additionally, Boeing and the Government intend to work together to build a new £100m P-8A operational support and training base at RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland, creating more than 100 new jobs and confirmed the purchase of nine P-8As..

Boeing will continue to grow its commercial aviation services business in the UK.
Boeing will make the UK a base for defence exports to Europe and the Middle East, increasing UK employment, investment and tax revenue.
Boeing will increase its contribution to the security, policing, cyber, information technology and space sectors in the UK, including by joining the Security and Resilience Growth Partnership and establishing a presence in the UK space sector during 2016.

Boeing will launch new investment in UK research and development, creating technology and intellectual property in the UK to be commercially exploited by Boeing in the UK and its supply chain, including SMEs. Specific new initiatives include working with QinetiQ and other partners to demonstrate a world leading enhancement to the QinetiQ 5 metre wind tunnel and new joint projects with Rolls-Royce on propulsion systems.